


Awkward

by sassastrophe (regulardudetier)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bullies :(, Friendship, High School AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-10
Updated: 2012-10-10
Packaged: 2017-11-16 00:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/533681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regulardudetier/pseuds/sassastrophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Got this prompt for a bullied Liam and a savior Harry, this probably isn't exactly what they'd wanted but this is what I came up with!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awkward

It's not easy being the awkward new kid, especially not halfway through junior year. 

Not when everyone has grown close for the past two and a half years, making sure to live it up together while they can until everyone goes their separate ways for college.

He was that awkward new kid once. Freshman year, though. So he had more time to adjust.

And with being an awkward new kid comes awkward new kid rumors. 

Harry was also subject to those.

"Buzzed head? Was he in the army?"

"I heard he's in choir."

"He's from England, right?"

"He definitely doesn't look 17."

"He looks really proper."

His head perked up towards the door of the cafeteria, eyes on the figure that was walking in. It was someone he'd never seen before. And in a grade level of only 99 people, he knew _everyone_. Being the captain of the soccer team, it wasn't that he was popular or anything he just.

He knew everyone.

"Liam Payne," came a familiar female voice from behind. A raven-haired female, settling her tray down beside him. "That's his name. He's from the UK, like you."

"Is he?" Harry was picking at his food now. "Where in?"

"Uhh. It was like...Wolf Hamptons?"

Wolverhampton.

"Anyways. He's a mid-transfer, not sure why this late in his school years. Weird, don't you think? Being transferred to a completely different country before senior year. Wouldn't he already be in University right now?"

Harry kept his eyes on the teen, watching him walk awkwardly across the room. There were no other eyes staring at him, only Harry's. Only Harry had interest.

"Shove off, faggot."

And the other soccer players.

He watched as this Liam fell, fell down to the ground with force from being pushed over. The two bulky boys laughed, walked off, left him. And he said nothing.

And Harry did nothing but look away.

*

Liam was in his Chemistry class. Sat two chairs in front of him. Harry made a mental note to not stare too much, but it was hard. There was something about Liam. Something about his physique, his silence, his awkward. 

And the fact that every day, Harry witnessed the same routine. 

It got worse. One day he was shoved into the lockers. One day he was shoved into a trashcan. 

One day he didn't bother showing up.

Harry thought it was ridiculous, this bullying in high school. High school, of all places. This wasn't middle school. They were almost graduates. Almost. 

But he was in that position once, he knew how things went.

So when Liam didn't show up to school one day, Harry took it upon himself to simply leave. 

He snuck out in second period, forging a doctor's note and driving out the gates of the school with ease. 

"Where does he live?"

"It's in the directory, dumbass."

"Oh, duh."

"Be careful, Haz."

"I just want to make sure he's not dead, Louis. You of all people know how tough it is being the soccer team's punching bag. Sorry, I didn't mean that. But I've got to go make sure he didn't, like, kill himself or something. I'm pretty sure I don't have anything to worry about."

He didn't, though. 

He pulled up at a small apartment complex, carefully reading the numbers on the doors before finding the one he was looking for. 

With three knocks, he was greeted with the familiar face.

"Erm."

"Harry. I'm Harry. I sit behind you in Chem. And, uh, I'm on the football team."

He assumed that the minute Liam heard his accent, it was the cause of his tiny smile. "Cheshire, yea?"

"How'd you know?"

"I had a girlfriend from Cheshire. Quite nice. Oh, erm. Would you like to, uh, come in?"

Liam Payne was the epitome of awkward, Harry could now confirm this.

"I just wanted to, like, make sure you didn't drown yourself in the bath or something. From all the bullying and stuff. They aren't my mates, I promise."

He chuckled. "It didn't bother me at all. I mean, it hurt a little but it's not like I'm going to do anything drastic. I, uh. I-"

"You skipped school though."

"So you thought I tried to kill myself? Alright."

A pause.

"I wasn't avoiding them."

"Sure you weren't." Harry let out a soft laugh, flipping his bangs out of his eyes and smiling. "Say, you wouldn't want to go get lunch, would you?"

"No bullies?"

"No bullies."

He watched Liam lock up, watched him brush his impossibly short hair back, watched him shove his hands in his coat pockets.

"You're kind of awkward."


End file.
